Tan Weihong
Professor Tan Weihong
Doctor of Science, honoris causa (2024)
Professor Tan Weihong, as a molecular scientist, has made pioneering contributions to aptamer research and applications, bioanalysis and molecular medicine. His seminal publications have shed light on problems in bioanalytical chemistry, bionanotechnology, and molecular medicine once thought to be intractable. Born in Yiyang, Hunan Province, Professor Tan’s unremarkable early life took a sharp and unexpected turn (around late 1970s) towards a lifelong commitment to science especially molecular sciences.
His early academic career can be traced from Hunan Normal University where he was awarded the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1982, followed by earning his Master of Science in Chemistry from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1985. He completed his doctoral work in Physical Chemistry at the University of Michigan. His formative training at Michigan was instrumental in expanding his interest in multiple disciplines, spanning the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, and now molecular medicine. Moreover, he has adopted the philosophy of loving science while maintaining a balanced life and the importance of happiness in life.
In 1995, Professor Tan joined the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor. Quickly ascending through the tenured ranks, he earned such distinctions as the V.T. and Louis Jackson Chair Professorship in 2008, and the title of University of Florida Distinguished Professor (the highest honour in Florida) in 2012. Over his 25 years in Florida, he mentored more than 70 Ph.D. students and over 200 postdoctoral researchers and visiting scholars, instilling a work ethic driven by confidence and conviction, as encapsulated in his motto: “work hard, work smart, work together, and be happy.”
A pivotal moment in his career arose when his then-post doctor fellow, Dr. Jianwei Jeff Li, proposed a scientific work whereby nucleic acid molecular beacons could be engineered to emit fluorescence upon target binding in order to detect proteins. This idea, initially met with skepticism by Professor Tan, eventually led to the groundbreaking exploration of aptamer research, propelling him to international leadership in this new and promising field. His pioneering work has exemplified the essence of a Chinese proverb which says, “one must have good tools in order to do a good job.” With the advent of his Cell-SELEX technology, the innovation in Aptamer Drug Conjugate (ApDC) and Aptomics (using aptamers to do omics to realise multiomics), he has revolutionised the approach to such study fields as biomedicine, bioanalysis, proteomics, glycomics, and theranostics, thereby making a profound contribution to the understanding and treatment of diseases, particularly cancer, at the molecular level. His contributions to the field of molecular medicine have been deservedly recognised by prestigious organisations such as the American Chemical Society, the World Molecular Imaging Society, and the Pittcon. The American Chemical Society dedicated a special issue to celebrate his achievement and birthday. The journal’s front page reads, “Dedicated to Professor Weihong Tan, a pioneer in the field of aptamer research. Congratulations to him and his collaborators for their groundbreaking research in the field of aptamers over the past twenty years.” Reflecting on his transformative aptamer research, he humbly states, “I learned much more from my students than I taught them.”
Professor Tan is currently leading research groups housed at the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He also serves as the Vice President of the Chinese Chemical Society. He has published over 900 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is listed by Clarivate Analytics among the elite group of Highly Cited Researchers from 2014 to 2023. His publications have been cited more than 108,000 times, yielding an H-index of 176 on Google Scholar. His leadership extends beyond the laboratory. He has served as an editor for renowned academic journals, including CCS Chemistry, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Science Bulletin (China), and Analytical Chemistry (U.S.).
Throughout his illustrious career, Professor Tan has received a multitude of accolades. His first significant recognition came in 1997 with the Beckman Young Investigator Award from the Beckman Foundation. He was elected as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2015 and the World Academy of Sciences in 2016. His innovative research has also been acknowledged with several high-profile awards, such as the Britton Chance Lecture Award from the World Molecular Imaging Society (2024), the Shu Lan Medicine Award from the Academician Shusen Lanjuan Talent Foundation in China (2022), and the Second-Class State Natural Science Award from the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (2020 and 2014). Additionally, he has been the recipient of the Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award, U.S. (2019), the Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry, U.S. (2019), the Award in Spectrochemical Analysis from the American Chemical Society, U.S. (2018), the Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from The Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation in Hong Kong (2018), and the First-Class Natural Science Award from the Ministry of Education (2011) etc.
Professor Tan’s research has also strengthened international collaboration, notably bringing together scientists from the U.S. to China. The most important thing he did recently was to have fruitful collaborative interactions among people from Hunan University and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). He served as an Honorary Professor in the School of Chinese Medicine from 2013 to 2015, and has maintained a close relationship with HKBU for research and academic collaboration in Chinese Medicine and in Chemistry. He is a core member of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, a project led by HKBU researchers in collaboration with other universities to provide a multidisciplinary platform to translate aptamer- based research into clinical applications. Professor Tan has also partnered with the School of Chinese Medicine on an aptamer project funded by the Theme-based Research Scheme of the University Grants Committee. On the other hand, as a molecular scientist, he has closely collaborated with the Department of Chemistry at HKBU for more than 30 years. Last year, he served as a Visiting Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis at HKBU.
Professor Tan is confident that aptamers will soon be realised in clinical settings and encourages the next generation of scientists to leverage the power of big data, embrace multidisciplinary thinking, and utilise artificial intelligence in their research endeavors. Professor Tan’s guidance to students and fellow scientists is to keep an open mind, foster collaboration across various disciplines, and, most importantly, to prioritise happiness and health as the essence of life’s most vital medicine. In his own words, “Life is anchored in three essential elements: Intelligence Quotient, Emotional Quotient, Happiness Quotient. As the old adage goes, happiness does not arise from success; instead, success grows out of happiness. Every achievement you attain is fundamentally rooted in the joy that resides within you.”
In recognition of Professor Tan’s transformative impact on molecular science and molecular medicine, his dedication to mentorship, and his tireless pursuit of knowledge for the common good, HKBU is honoured to confer upon Professor Tan Weihong the title of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.